Results 1,441-1,460 of 34,833 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Enrolments (18 Nov 2021)

Seán Fleming: I thank both Senators for strongly driving home the point. I had a similar experience in Portlaoise. It is an expanding area and school places is always an issue. I am providing practical experiences and not the official script. It will take a couple of years to build a new school, even if the contract is signed tomorrow. Architectural design, planning, tendering and construction is...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: National Asset Management Agency (18 Nov 2021)

Seán Fleming: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue in relation to NAMA, which has been ongoing for a number of years. NAMA was given a difficult job to do when it was established as an independent commercial body with a very specific legal and commercial mandate, which was approved not just by the Dáil and the Seanad, but specifically by the European Commission, in 2010. It is following its...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: National Asset Management Agency (18 Nov 2021)

Seán Fleming: I am not saying the Senator is unaware of this, but it is important to note that NAMA does not own the development sites in its portfolio. The public does not necessarily know that. NAMA owns the loans; it does not own the land or the properties. The properties are owned by developers who owe money to NAMA. If the developers can clear their debts with NAMA, they are gone. If they clear...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Commercial Rates (17 Nov 2021)

Seán Fleming: On behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, I thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity to speak about the funding of Longford County Council, and in particular the loss of income due to the closure of Lough Ree power station in Lanesborough. I believe I was present at the online meeting the Senator mentioned involving the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Kieran...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Commercial Rates (17 Nov 2021)

Seán Fleming: I, again, acknowledge the contribution of Senator Carrigy. Having listened to everything he said, if every Oireachtas Member was as well informed as to what was happening in his or her local authority area as he is, it would add to the richness and quality of the debate and the information available to us in this House when dealing with these types of issues. The Senator listed a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (16 Nov 2021)

Seán Fleming: 340. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a school will be facilitated as the host of, and be a base for, a supply panel for substitute teachers for a number of schools in a location (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55510/21]

Finance (European Stability Mechanism and Single Resolution Fund) Bill [Seanad] 2021: Referral to Select Committee (10 Nov 2021)

Seán Fleming: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Orders 95(3)(a) and 181(1).

Finance (European Stability Mechanism and Single Resolution Fund) Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Second Stage (10 Nov 2021)

Seán Fleming: I thank all of the Deputies for their interesting contributions to this debate. As most have said, it is a technical and detailed debate but, nonetheless, it is very important for the stability of State finances and the banking sector across Europe. To conclude today's discussions, I want to reiterate the purpose of this legislation and then respond briefly to some of the issues that were...

Finance (European Stability Mechanism and Single Resolution Fund) Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Second Stage (10 Nov 2021)

Seán Fleming: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

Finance (European Stability Mechanism and Single Resolution Fund) Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Second Stage (10 Nov 2021)

Seán Fleming: I thank the Ceann Comhairle and I appreciate that. There is much heavy detail in this Bill. It is about ratification of a treaty between the Eurogroup members within the EU. It is not specifically an EU treaty or an agreement. It involves the Eurogroup within the EU. There is a treaty in place. When people read the legislation they will note it is very short but it contains very long...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Insurance Industry (9 Nov 2021)

Seán Fleming: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 123 together. As the Deputy may be aware, in July the Government published the first implementation report of the action plan for insurance reform, which shows that work is progressing well, with 34 of the 66 actions contained therein completed. The sub-group’s focus now is on implementing the outstanding actions on time. One of the key...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Insurance Industry (9 Nov 2021)

Seán Fleming: I thank the Deputies for their comments and I want to give practical examples of what we are talking about. I met the Alliance for Insurance Reform last week and I hope to meet it again next month and the month after. It has indicated a number of pinch points where some groups are having difficulty getting insurance and that is a particular problem. The survey it referred to only included...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Insurance Industry (9 Nov 2021)

Seán Fleming: Absolutely. We will have an outstanding level of transparency about these issues. The first thing that I should say every time I talk about insurance, especially about home and motor insurance, is that we know about the loyalty penalty for the motor insurance industry. Many people who have a policy for more than ten years are paying 10% or 15% more than they should be. We will make...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Insurance Industry (9 Nov 2021)

Seán Fleming: The most common claims being dealt with by the new guidelines were for soft tissue injuries, whiplash etc. They did not deal with catastrophic injuries. People who have lifelong catastrophic injuries need all the funding they can get. I should have said earlier that the Minister for Justice gave a commitment today, when guidelines were announced, to prepare a report at the end of this...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Credit Unions (9 Nov 2021)

Seán Fleming: The programme for Government includes a number of commitments to the credit union sector. I intend to shortly issue proposals emanating from the review of the policy framework for consultation. This will involve meeting with representative bodies and other stakeholders, a commitment I made in my recent engagements. In total, I have had 23 meetings with credit union stakeholders this year,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Credit Unions (9 Nov 2021)

Seán Fleming: First, the policy review referred to in the programme for Government is at an advanced stage. In the coming weeks, we will have a clear timeline for that process, but it is imminent. Second, growing the credit union movement, as referenced in the programme for Government, is essentially about growing the credit unions' loan book. They have adequate deposits and savings. They do not...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Credit Unions (9 Nov 2021)

Seán Fleming: I look forward to briefing the Deputy, as well as the opportunity to brief the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach, on developments as we progress. A total of 19 credit unions were approved in early 2021 for participation in the Covid-19 credit guarantee scheme. The Government has provided substantial funding for retrofitting. There will have to be some...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Insurance Industry (9 Nov 2021)

Seán Fleming: The NCID contains information on the cost of non-life insurance claims. Life insurance is not part of my brief for this particular purpose. The Central Bank of Ireland is responsible for collecting this information, as well as for managing the NCID under the Central Bank Act 2018. It can allow the scope of the NCID report to evolve in line with requirements. The Central Bank has already...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Insurance Industry (9 Nov 2021)

Seán Fleming: It has been a number of months since the guidelines were introduced. I want to put it on the public record that there has been a decline in the cost of motor insurance premiums, as per the figures produced on an ongoing basis by the Central Statistics Office, CSO. The cost of insurance has reduced by at least 20% in recent years and that has continued right up to the present quarter. The...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Insurance Industry (9 Nov 2021)

Seán Fleming: I want to take this opportunity to inform the Deputy that the Department of Finance sought agreement last week from the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach that it engage in pre-legislative scrutiny of the insurance (miscellaneous provisions) Bill 2021. Tomorrow, I will ask the committee, of which the Deputy is a member, to set an early timescale for...